Mosquito Bite Treatment And Prevention

Thinking of going on safari this year? There are some things you should look out for so that you go prepared and ensure an enjoyable and safe experience

Safety around creepy crawlies

Simply be prepared and you should be safe from the not-so-monstrous creepies that crawl in the night.

One of the first things to be aware of is the threat of malaria from infected mosquito bites but adequate preparation through starting on a course of medication before, during and after travel should suffice

Mosquitoes – unfortunately many safari parks are in malaria areas. Malarone, antibiotic doxycycline, chloroquine and mefloquine are the four most common medications prescribed against malaria. Chatting to your doctor beforehand will ensure that you get the right medication for both your family and the area to where you are travelling. To be extra safe, bring along  mozzie-repellent shampoos, soaps, lotions and sprays, especially for the kids.

Mosquito bite treatment and natural repellants in addition to medication include Brewer’s Yeast and garlic (the mosquito doesn’t like the smell apparently!) and anti itch lotion with aloe ver

It is also a good idea to invest in a mosquito net to ensure a restful night’s sleep, free from pesky mosquito and other insect bites

Snakes – generally shy creatures, it is unlikely that you will encounter a snake in the built up areas of your safari camp. If you do meet with one, back away quickly and quietly. Bites are usually more painful than fatal, but seek medical attention from a camp medic immediately, just to be safe.

A good idea would be to wear leather boots that go up to the knee… very difficult for a snake to bite through if you stood on one accidentally and caused it to react

Creepies – most game lodges supply nets and window coverings to keep the crawlies at bay, but it is still a good idea to check your shoes before squishing a sleeping scorpion. When going for bush walks, wear long trousers, boots and hiking socks to prevent picking up any hitchhikers.

Ticks – these icky little creatures are an unfortunate side-effect of being in the bush. All conditions that develop from a tick bite are treatable, but it is important to remove the offending bug as soon as possible. Conflicting techniques exist on how to remove a tick, but it is generally considered ill-advised to yank it, suffocate it, or drown it as the head buries itself even further. Rather use tweezers, grasp it at the head, right against your skin and pull straight up to remove the tick in its entirety.

Have you ‘ticked’ that one off the list?

Safety on a game drive

It is very easy to think that just because you are in a Land Rover with a guide and a gun, you are completely safe. Most game drives are relatively risk-free, but only as long as you do your bit and follow the rules.

Listen to your guide – guides are experienced in animal behaviour and will always have a good reason for asking you to do, or not do, something. Asking you to keep quiet could be to prevent an already agitated animal from charging, or disappearing and ruining your photos. Anything as quiet as the click of a camera could set an animal off, so listen if your guide asks you to hold off on a picture.

Keep your hands to yourself – Game drives traverse some pretty wild terrain and you just never know when a branch or a particularly spiky bush could suddenly appear. Keeping your hands and arms inside the vehicle ensures that you don’t get any nasty scratches. This also means that you should you be lucky enough to get close to an animal, you shouldn’t lean out and touch it. Wild animals could react viciously and injure you. Remember, if these animals become too used to humans it will be to their detriment if they later have the confidence to approach a hunter, farmer or built up area.

Stay sitting – any sudden movement could scare an animal, ruining your picture or even prompting an attack. Animals are used to the shape and size of safari game drive vehicles and standing could alter this shape and cause panic.

Safety on a self-drive safari

Common sense should ensure your safety on a self-drive exploration of a game reserve as most of the same rules apply as when you are on the road.

Stay inside the car - You wouldn’t hang out a window while driving in the city? Well, don’t do it while on safari. Keep all your body parts inside the car and never, ever, ever get out the vehicle at any time. If you get a flat tyre, call for help or flag down another car to get help for you. Even though the coast may seem to be clear, bending to change a tyre leaves you vulnerable to attack.

Keep to the speed limits – There are speed limits in any game park – obey them for your safety and the animals.

Don’t feed the animals – You should also not throw rubbish out your windows. Any left over food will naturally attract animals and can have detrimental effects on the environment. Teaching animals to rely on humans for food can turn them into scavengers that can’t fend for themselves and introduces foreign substances into their environment which all contribute to a negative shift in the eco-system.

Don’t be tempted to rev or hoot or flash your lights in an attempt to try and get the animal to do something more interesting. More interesting could end up in your car being charged. If an animal shows any sign of getting agitated, slowly start your car and move off. These signs could include a prolonged stare-off, erratic ear movement, pacing or even a mock charge.

Safety on a game walk or at a lookout point

There are designated places where you can walk in a game reserve or get out your car, but follow these guidelines:

No swimming – it gets hot out there, but a quick dip is not the answer. No matter how inviting the water, it could hide crocs and hippos – and they don’t like to share their pools. The bilharzias parasite is also present in some rivers and can cause bleeding and ulceration of the intestine and bladder.

No feeding the animals – A change in feeding patterns could mean that some animals do not migrate as they would normally do at a certain time of year, adversely affecting food supplies. Different animals that are taught to scavenge can also fight over one food supply that they would not normally share, resulting in injuries and harmful inter-species interactions. Most importantly, wild animals have specialised diets and you have no idea what effect a chocolate bar could have on their bodies.

No touching – do not approach an animal, touch it or call it – the response will not be one that you anticipated.

Do not stray – stay on the path, in the designated watch area or with your guide. Besides getting lost, you may trample endangered plant species or contribute to erosion.

About the author: GoTravel24.com is South Africa’s leading travel website. With information covering every aspect of travel, from honeymoon tips to upcoming events and affordable packages, GoTravel24 is really your one-stop travel shop.

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A Kenya Safari Holiday .

You need to sleep under treated mosquito netting, and the doors and windows should be screened against mosquitos. If you are lucky enough to have a fan or even airconditioning then even better, but just remember malaria prophylaxis 

Masai Mara Safari

And, we had a steward who made up our room during the day, and then when we were on our evening safari, would fix up our tent for the evening. Close all the curtains, take our mosquito nets down, switch the day bedlinens 

Close encounters of the Creature Kind

Ah but our foray with biting insects had only just begun: in the Tanzanian post-rainy-season tropics we entered the land of the Mosquito. The nightly routine, consisted of returning to base before dusk to cover up and apply vast quantities of DEET to any exposed skin before going anywhere. … Instead of reducing my terror of catching the disease (we’d met someone on Safari who’d had it on Malarone, the extremely expensive new drug I was on for extra protection in Africa

USB Mosquito Stick Keeps You Malaria-Free On A Laptop Safari

Using an ultrasonic force field, this USB stick vows to protect you from mosquitoes during all those times when you find yourself using a laptop

Technorati Tags: bite, bites, Chloroquine, drugs, infected, malaria, Mefloquine, mosquito, mosquitoes, natural, net, prevention, repellant, safari, safety, scorpion, snake, ticks

Don’t let the lowly mosquito spoil your camping holiday

Do you get pleasure from taking camping trips? If you are a camping fanatic then you’re evidently the sort of individual who enjoys the great outdoors and gets pleasure from running away from the day to day stresses of life in the city.

Because the idea is to hide away from civilization for a short time, the last thing you need is the hassle of something going terribly wrong during your camping trip. That’s why it’s worth preparing a camping checklist to help you keep in mind all the things you may need.
            >>   Find mosquito bite treatment here

At times it can be challenging to choose what to include on your list. After all, there is only so much space on hand so you should figure out what camping gear is critical and what is not. You may find it useful to look on the internet for camping checklists that other people have assembled. This might prompt you to recall a number of critical things that you could otherwise have forgotten to bring. Needless to say, there are non-essential items that other folks choose to bring that you could find entirely unnecessary. For example, lots of females might be distraught without their makeup bag whereas others would be content with only some soap and moisturizer.

There are several items that ought to be on every camping checklist. Here’s a starter list for you (which is in no way comprehensive):

• Food and a cooler to store the perishable things
• Camp stove, pots, and cooking utensils (including a sharp knife)
• Dishes and cutlery
• Clothes for a variety of weather conditions
• Personal hygiene items, toilet paper and a lantern
• Sleeping bags  and mosquito net
• First aid kit, including insect and mosquito repellant and anti itch cream

When you forget certain important items it might stop you from being able to perform many requirements like opening cans, cooking your food, staying warm, dealing with an injury or mosquito bite swelling and staying clean. If forgetting anything means you can’t manage to do something that is simple yet critical it can mess up your vacation. At the least you could have to locate a shop and waste money purchasing an article you forgot to bring with you. It is therefore important to be as detailed as you can when making your camping checklist.

You could wish to include some non-essential things on your checklist. These are the kind of items that are vital to you, however other individuals might do without them rather easily. Your trip isn’t ruined when you forget to bring the non essentials, yet remembering them makes the situation better for you. It is completely up to you which non-essential things you include on your camping checklist. Just don t waste so much time considering the needless extras that you neglect to take something that truly is important. In the end a can opener is a great deal more important than makeup.

If you’re looking to buy some camping supplies before you leave on your next adventure, visit Camping Equipment Online.

Technorati Tags: bite, camping, checklist, cream, equipment, gear, holiday, mosquito, net, repellant, spray, treatment

What do you think about when you hear the term, ‘Mosquito’? Most of us see them as pesky little insects that give a very itchy bite and are downright dangerous in some circumstances.

But did you know that in the whole scheme of things the mosquito plays quite an important role.

This is what Outdoor Skills Expert, Tamarack Song has to say.

Song of the Mosquito: How to Live in Balance With This Honored Guardian of the Wild Places

No other animal in the Wilderness is more joked about, cursed or feared than Mosquito.  After all, she is known to spread disease, suck veins dry and drive otherwise sound people to delirium.  Yet there is another side …

A couple years ago a reporter from a big city newspaper called me to get some information for an article on Mosquito control and mosquito bite prevention.  He also interviewed an academic bug expert, whose quote, “I wouldn’t go (Tamarack’s) route,” ended the reporter’s resulting article.

Why are there such entrenched camps around how to relate with this fragile, weak-winged being we call Mosquito?  And what might we do to honor her as a fellow creature and occupy the same space as her?  Before we explore those questions let us find out just who this notorious and embattled six-legged is.

To many of us who live both in town and in the farther places, she is a nuisance; to city governments she is another pest and disease carrier to target with a vigorous “control” program.  Humorous postcards in just about every vacation region claim that she is the state bird.  To the manufacturers of Cutters and Off she’s the greatest thing since cockroaches.  To many wilderness trekkers she’s a spoiler who clouds the sun and rivets the skin by day, then by night relentlessly drones her nauseating whine at maddeningly close quarters.  To Native People she is honored sister and animal guide who heralds the coming of the Green Season.  She is a guardian of the farther places, helping assure that their beauties and mysteries be preserved for those who Walk in Balance.

But why Mosquitoes? Why not something more cute, or at least less hurtful?  Many of us who state that we love nature are referring to the noble, the inspiring, the photogenic.  Usually not Mosquitoes.  We have a cultural aversion to insects in general, and biting insects in particular.  Yet insects are the most numerous, varied — and some say the most beautiful — of animals.  Mosquitoes themselves are often resplendent looking; many have iridescent wings and some have other frills such as red-striped legs.

Let us again turn to Native wisdom for another perspective:  In the Hoop of Life all is sacred;  Mosquito is as well a child of  The Mother, thus no more or less important than are we.  Mosquito is as vital and noble and beautiful as Hawk or Grandfather Pine, so she is accorded the same respect and admiration.

She plays an important role in the food chain; her often abundant larvae are food to fish and invertebrates, and she is fare for Birds, Bats, and Dragonflies.

Still, when we are harangued by these pesky little blood siphons we can well find it hard not to develop an attitude and start swatting and spraying.  They can keep us indoors and put a damper on otherwise enjoyable outdoor activities.  So what do we do, especially those of us who wish to live more respectfully and responsibly?

We may try one of the naturally-based repellents which have come on the market in recent years; they may be citronella or citrus oil based.

Megadoses of vitamin B-1 appear to work for some; others favor garlic capsules.  The most curious repellents I have come across are Avon’s Skin-so-Soft and Bounce Fabric Softeners pinned to clothing.  None of the above, however, are near as effective as Cutters or Deep Woods Off.

Yet there is a natural approach as effective as those chemical stews, but it is so little known and hard to bottle that it can’t be bought.  It’s one we live.

The clues to that Balance lie in knowing Mosquito.  She is a fragile creature, a weak flyer sensitive to dryness and paranoid of tight places and anything oily.  She is much like us in the ways she is drawn to food–color, appearance, smell.  She can smell the carbon dioxide in our breath and the carbon dioxide and lactic acid that emanate from our skin;  she can see our silhouette, movements and the color of our clothing and can sense our body heat.

Some of us ring our dinner bell louder than others because we have a mouth watering combination of the above signals.  The key to DEET-free outdoor living is to eliminate or disguise as many of those signals as possible and to confound Mosquito over the rest.  The following list contains some suggestions which have overlapping effect; select a combination which best fits your person and situation.  They work synergistically; several together can be as effective as a synthetic deterrent.

Mosquito Bite Prevention:

Location

• Stay in the breeze. Mosquito can fly only eight m.p.h., so it doesn’t take much to waft her away.

• Create a breeze. A 50 yard dash will leave the swarm lost and confused.  Repeat as necessary.

• Choose a high sunny location.  Mosquito dehydrates easily, so seeks shade and low areas where the humidity is higher.  If all else fails, climb a tree or perch atop a rock.

Clothing

•   Wear long, loose-fitting garb to keep Mosquito from biting through to skin. Earth hues disguise us in the Woods; green is best, brown rates second. White masks your silhouette in       the open.  Blue is worst; Mosquito mistakes it for a flowering plant from which she draws sustaining juices. Red flags her in also, as well as other insects.  (Below-waist colors aren’t as       critical; Mosquito will bite regardless.)

•   Air out outdoor clothing so that it does not harbor attractive odors.

•   Drape a Fern frond, long hair or something similar over head and face. Mosquito doesn’t like close overhead shadows or feeling boxed in while feeding.

Movement

•   Go slowly, remain calm.  The more we sweat, breathe and agitate, the more Mosquitoes we will attract and from a farther distance.

•   Walk first in line.  The cumulative draw of a group of people is felt more the farther back in  line one is.

Diet

•   Eat raw garlic.  The essence laces breath and exudes from skin pores, masking your lunch call.

•   Eat foods and drink aromatic teas indigenous to your area..  You’ll then smell like  you belong.  (I learned this from the local Natives, who did it to camouflage for the hunt.)

•   Avoid stimulants and sugar.  They rev up the metabolism, which sends out louder invitations.

Skin Slatherings

•   Oil your skin.  Mosquitoes are obsessive about keeping their wings grease-free.

•   Apply an aromatic oil such as Cedar (or other conifer) or crushed orange peel, onion or garlic.  Give special attention to the warmest, leanest parts of your body — neck, armpits, ears, wrists — wherever blood vessels are close to the surface.

•   Teas of the above will work also, but lose effectiveness when they dry.  Sweat keeps them active.

•   Smoke skin, hair and clothing.  Make a small smudge fire (see box), hold clothing over smoke and work into hair.

•    Avoid scented personal care products and laundry detergents.  They are seductive perfume to Mosquito when activated by body heat.

Time

•   Choose midday or after dark to be out.  Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk.

•   Choose a cool over a hot day, a sunny over a cloudy day, a low-humidity over a high-humidity day.

For Your Camp

•   Welcome Dragonflies and foster ponds — their breeding ground.  They can consume their weight in Mosquitoes in a half hour, they’ll fly miles for the meal, and they can spot the buggers 50 feet away. Immature Mosquitos, called wrigglers, are water dwellers and the favorite food of Dragonfly larvae–also water dwellers. Old favorites like Bats and Purple Martins include an average of only a couple percent Mosquitoes in their diets.

•   Keep a section of yard open to sun and breeze.

When On the Trail

•   Follow the guidelines under Location in choosing your campsite.

•   Make a smudge fire to create a dense, cool, low-hanging smoke (see box).  When smoke hangs around, the Mosquitoes don’t.

•   Sit tight.  If the Mosquito population is light to moderate, those in your immediate vicinity will soon satiate themselves (or get massacred — your choice) and you’ll be left with just the occasional drifter to feed.

•   Brush them off. Our most common Mosquitoes take several seconds after landing to bite, so keepin’ them hoppin’ with a periodic sweep can be a temporary fix.

First Aid

A Mosquito bite itches and swells as the result of an allergic reaction to the anticoagulant in her saliva.  The most effective treatment I’ve found is to alternately compress and release the bite to cause the toxin to disperse.  This works for the bites of most other insects as well.

Dehydration may magnify bite reaction; be sure to hydrate well before hitting the  trail and also carry along adequate drinking water.

Perhaps the fact that I’m still alive and sane after years of outdoor living (without commercial repellant) in Skeeter Country is some testament to the fact that this mosquito bite prevention approach does work.  And yet I like a few Mosquitoes around; they help me to slow down and they bring me teachings that touch many areas of my life.  I am proud and honored to live in their domain and call them sister.

Tamarack Song has been a student and teacher of the traditional outdoor skills his whole life. He is an author and director of the celebrated Teaching Drum Outdoor School. We thank him for sharing his wisdom on mosquito bite prevention
by Tamarack Song

First published on Teaching Drum Outdoor School’s site.

Role Of Lemon In Treating Insect Bites

Summer is the time when people prefer to go for a retreat to cooler destinations. Clear skies and still weather conditions make it the ideal time.

Treatments For Mosquito Bite. What You Can Use At Home?

You can make ice wraps and apply them on the bites. This is one of the most effective mosquito bites treatment you can safely use at home. It helps bring down the swelling on affected skin. This eases irritation and the pain too.

Treatments For Kinds Of Insect Bites

A mosquito bite usually results in redness and minor local swelling around the mosquito bite site. Itching is also very common and tends to last longer than the swelling, which subsides after a few hours. 

Mosquito Bites and Remedies

Treating Mosquito Bites. Defense is the best from of treatment here. Take adequate precautions to ensure that you are not bitten by a mosquito. But if you have been bitten, then here are some home remedies that you can use

Aromatherapy Oil for Insect Bite Relief  Aromatherapy Massage

Essential Oil for Insect Bite Treatment. Though there are several remedies that can be used for relieving the itch and discomfort of a mosquito bite, essential oils work well too. In fact you can get instant relief from all the itching.

Technorati Tags: bite, bites, biting, insect, insects, mosquito, mosquitoes, natural, prevent, prevention, remedies, repellant, treatment

Do you know how to prevent or treat mosquito bites without using any of the regular store’s convenience products?

Do you have any bushcraft skills? If you were to become lost in the wild do you have the skills necessary to erect a shelter, start a fire, locate some water and find some nutritious food? And would you know what is safe to eat? Would you know how to stop insect bites?

      >>   Find a natural mosquito bite prevention alternative here 

Living in our modern, convenience food world we have all lost touch with the sources of our food. Today, children grow up in cities and many have no idea where their food comes from. I once taught a young guy who didn’t know that burgers were made from beef. I don’t know what he thought they were made out of.

If you are lost in the wild, without bushcraft skills you might be surprised to find that there are no all night supermarkets. You really need to be able to identify what is safe to eat and what is potentially harmful. If you have ever seen Bear Grylls surviving in various inhospitable parts of the world he always catches and eats whatever he can find. Something you may have noticed is that Bear is never without his bushcraft knife, an essential survival tool.

Wild berries could be a valuable form of food and nutrition. Our ancestors would have gathered nuts, berries and grain when in season and either eaten these raw or prepared them in some way. But some berries can be deadly poisonous.

Yew berries are very poisonous causing many poisonings every year. They are bright scarlet in color, about 8 to 10mm in diameter with an indentation at the base. The berries look deceptively appetising leading many young children to eat then.

Deadly Nightshade is another berry that results in many visits to the emergency room each year. The clue is in the name, not in the appearance. This plant is also commonly known as Belladonna, producing sweet berries that can be irresistibly attractive to young children.

Insects can be a valuable source of energy, but many find the thought of eating them distasteful. Most insects are actually edible, but some taste better than others. Many species are actually very low in fat and high in protein.Crickets, grasshoppers, mealworms and wood grubs are all a safe bet. You will find that most insects taste better when barbecued and you can even grind them up to make an insect flour.

To stop them biting you can eat things rich in vitamin B, use lemon juice on your skin and clothes and use smoke as a natural insect screen. There are several types of plants that naturally repel mosquitoes so if they are around you can make use of them. Some of these are horsemint, marigolds, catnip and rosemary. You can also use lemon eucalyptus oil as a mosquito repellent.

Birds, rabbits and other small animals are all generally good to eat, but not so easy to catch. This is particularly true if you find yourself lost without a weapon. In these circumstances some form of trap will possibly provide the best chance of catching an animal.

You may be thinking that this will never happen to you and you will never be forced to eat grasshoppers for dinner. But this really could happen to you. All you have to do is stray from the main path through a forest, as I once did, and before you know it you are disoriented and lost. That’s when you’ll wish you’d paid more attention to Ray Mears Extreme Survival.

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Don’t be bugged by the bites!

Preparing yourself is the topic for this part of our activity holidays guide.

Being prepared when you are planning on activity holidays almost guarantees that you will have a great time! You should pay attention to your physical condition, your level of expertise in the activities you’ll be undertaking, the equipment / gear you’ll need, and what clothing you take with you.

And something important that often gets forgotten is  insect repellant for mosquito control because it can get very uncomfortable without it and otherwise spoil what could be a very enjoyable and memorable holiday

You should engage in some aerobic activity (jogging, cycling, swimming, etc.) at least 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week as preparation. You should make sure you work up to a certain intensity level as you get closer to your activity holiday since you will probably be very physical through it with little down time.

Some things you will be doing like ice climbing or canoeing will not be practical to practice, but you can prepare for hiking and biking. If practicing for the specific activities on your holiday isn’t possible, the best fallbacks for preparation are cycling and walking.

You’ll be provided with a detailed list of gear and clothing to take and should ensure that you have every item on that list as it was created by an expert who knows exactly what you’ll need. Along with what your guide tells you is required for your holiday, you should also take a few small bags, like a backpack and a fanny pack, that will carry all of your personal necessities; larger bags will be cumbersome and might slow you down.

It is generally best to wear durable, comfortable, fast-drying garments, in layers. Bring with you your rain gear, hats to protect you from sun and colder weather, warm jackets, long slacks, shorts, long sleeved shirts to protect you from mosquito bites, extra garments for during non-sport activities, and one additional pair of shoes for in a situation where your primary pair of shoes become wet. You might also want to consider a bathing suit and eye protection. Also an anti itch cream if you do need mosquito bite treatment

Check to see if you will need to bring sleeping items such as a ground pad, tent, pillow and sleeping bag, or cooking equipment, such as cutlery and food. You can sometimes rent these items from the activity holiday company if you don’t already have them.

Your instructor / guide will have a group first aid kit but it’s advisable to also take your own with basics like bandages, aspirin and  insect repellant .

Technorati Tags: activity holidays, bite, insect, mosquito, preparation, prevention, repellant, treatment

Remember the good old days before water parks and expensive resorts when your family used to go on picnics? In these hard economic times, why not go back to these simpler, more relaxed days by taking your family on a picnic? In this article we’ll help you figure out everything you’ll need to make your picnic an occasion that your entire family will remember.

First, let’s talk about the picnic basket. Think about where you’re going to hold your picnic. Will you be able to park nearby? Will you have to walk or hike a distance to get there. If you’re going to be able to park near your picnic table, a traditional wicker picnic basket will work. However, if you’re going to have to walk to your picnic area, you might want to consider a picnic backpack. Picnic backpacks are very light and have plenty of room to carry all your supplies.

One of the things I really like about carrying a fully stocked picnic basket is that it’s environmentally sound alternative to bringing paper cups, paper plates and plastic silverware. Modern picnic baskets and picnic backpacks include all the amenities you’ll need to make your picnic a success. You can get a picnic basket or backpack that’s complete with glasses, silverware, plates, salt and pepper shakers, napkins, a table cloth and even a cheese knife and cutting board.

Next you’ll need to decide whether you’re going to cook on your picnic or bring a selection of sandwiches and snacks. If you want to cook, make sure the park you’re going to has grills to use or bring a portable grill of your own. Today you can even get portable gas grills if you don’t want to mess with charcoal and charcoal starter. Whether you cook on gas or charcoal you’re going to need a set of quality barbecue tools.

I hope you agree with me that a picnic is an money saving alternative to a day at the local resort. Give it a try and I think you and you’re entire family will be glad you did.

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Are you trying to put some spice into your relationship? Are you looking for something exciting to do with your sweetie this spring? If you answered yes to either of these questions, I have an interesting idea that I know you’ll like. Take her hiking. Once you try it, you’ll have a fun new hobby for life.

First you’ll want to think about where you’d like to go hiking. You can choose a nice flat trail and make it more like a leisurely walk or you can pick a hilly area and make it into excellent exercise. National and State Parks make outstanding hiking places. Every state has them and you can learn all about them on the world wide web. Many places have nature preserves and wildlife refuges too. Here you can hike and have a chance to see plants and animals that you wouldn’t see near your home. Make sure you take your physical condition into consideration when choosing your place to go hiking because if you don’t, you could end up turning a romantic hike into a major nightmare.

Next you’ll want to think about clothing and equipment. I’d suggest that you avoid tight clothing and shorts. There are usually thorny plants on the trails and poison ivy is everywhere. You certainly don’t want to hurt yourself or get posion ivy. You will also want to wear comfortable and sturdy shoes. I’d suggest that you invest in a quality pair of hiking shoes because they’ll be better for you than sneakers.

You also want to decide what to carry in your picnic backpack. You’re going to need to take a food break some time during your hike and modern picnic backpacks come with amenities like lightweight plates, tumblers and silverware. If you have one you won’t have to worry about throwing away of paper products. This is good for you and part of living a green lifestyle. As for food, my favorites are high carb foods like granola, fruit and nut mixes and sandwiches to help keep your energy level high. Hiking and the Atkins Diet usually don’t mix. Regardless of your choice of food, make sure you bring plenty of water because no matter how clear the stream you’re hiking by looks, the water may not be safe to drink.

Now you’re ready to go on your hike. I hope you enjoy yourself and find romance. At worst, it’s another hobby for you to enjoy with your sweetie and at best, it might help save your relationship.

Technorati Tags: hiking, picnic backpacks, romance, save your romance

It doesn’t matter if you are a novice or a professional gardener, there are many gardening tips out there for you to get the gardening help you need.

And that includes how to prevent or deal with mosquitos, such as making sure you don’t have a stagnant pool.

Good gardening tips can be so helpul to any gardener. These tips in particular will be helpful to you, but no matter what problem you come across, you will be able to find gardening help.

Dealing With Pests on Houseplants

Pests on houseplants is one of the most annoying problems that gardeners have. You really have to be careful, because although of course you want to kill the pests, you need to make sure that you are not going to be doing any damage to the plants.

So one of the most important gardening tips pertains to safely dealing with pests on house plants. The first step is to clean up to remove the insects. Cleaning is not only a good physical control and good place for you to get started, but as well it will help greatly by allowing you to monitor how well your other controls are working, because they actually may not be working at all.

Pests on household plants are smothered by insecticidal soap so it works quite well at getting rid of them. The contact between the insects and the product is very important, therefore, you need to be sure to apply the soap frequently to make sure all the pests are killed. These are important gardening tips to know.

Seed Starting

Gardening tips involving seed starting are very important as well. In this case, timing is extremely important; you don’t want to start too ealry. Mid-march is the best time to start most seedlings; except for plants like tomatoes and peppers, you should be careful not to start to early.

These are just a couple of the thousands of gardening tips that are out there. However, good gardening help may not be as easy to find. It is really beneficial for even a longtime gardener to learn as may tips as you can, so if you have a problem, you won’t be in the dark about what to do.

Gardening has so may benefits it is worth trying even if you have never considered it before.

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Mosquitoes and disease

Though mosquitoes have been associated with disease and are considered to be undesirable pests, they have several surprising and interesting things about them.

Read on to know some facts about mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes are a disease causing insect species belonging to the family Culicidae.

They have a negative image and are referred to as pests. Given below are some facts about them.

Facts about Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes have existed since 100 million years. There exist 3000 different species of mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are quite adept at adapting to different climates. They are found all over the world including very cold locations like the Arctic.

Only the  female mosquitoes bite. Their eggs require the protein found in human blood. A female mosquito may probe a human being’s skin as many as 20 times before drawing blood. The male mosquito is differentiated from the female one by the plumose or feather-like appearance of the antenna and palp (sensory organ). The high-pitched sound female mosquitoes make is created by their wing beats and helps the males find them..

Most mosquitoes live near 1 mile of their breeding ground, though some may live up to 20 miles away. Mosquitoes are cold-blooded creatures and are most active at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The male mosquito’s life is between 10 and 20 days long, whereas the female mosquito’s is between 3 and 100 days. A mosquito weighs 1/25000 of an ounce.

Mosquitoes are more attracted toward dark colors than light colors. Mosquitoes use smell to hunt and are particularly attracted by carbon dioxide.

Mosquitoes cause diseases like yellow fever, dengue, filariasis and encephalitis. More than 100 people can be infected by a single mosquito carrying the malaria virus. Mosquitoes kill more people than any other insect.

Most mosquito species live on fruit juices and nectar and only a very few feed on humans. Some mosquitoes feed on other mosquitoes. An interesting fact is that some mosquitoes prefer frogs.

The life stages of a mosquito are egg, pupae, larvae and adult; all of which, except the last stage, take place in water. Stagnant water like ponds and lakes is preferred by most mosquitoes to lay eggs.

A surprising fact is that the eggs of a mosquito can survive for more than five years. A female mosquito is capable of laying up to 200 eggs at one time. A mosquito develops from egg to adult within 4 to 7 days. Mosquitoes prefer places with less light like trees and areas of dense vegetation.

Mosquitoes have poor eyesight. They can identify their prey by an infrared view of its body temperature. Mosquito bites cause itching. Like many birds, mosquitoes are also pollinators.

You can take the following steps to reduce the population of mosquitoes :

• Get rid of stagnant water in your garden or drums, bottles, tin cans etc.
• Cover all water containers.
• The water bowl of your pet can be a source of mosquito breeding; so empty it on a daily basis.
• Make sure water does not accumulate in the ground around your house.
• Regularly use DDT or other pesticide to kill mosquitoes.
• You can fill your fish tank with mosquito-eating fish.
• Cut the grass and shrubs short in the garden to avoid giving mosquitoes a place to inhabit.
• Keep unused swimming pools drained or covered.
• Drain all swamps in your neighborhood.

By Prabhakar Pillai

The Enemy Of The Little Biting Beasts

This patented mosquito trap provides 24-hour protection against biting insects and that too, without any odor or noise. Check out the Mosquito Magnet 3100 MM Mosquito Trap in online retailer sites today

Mosquito Noise

The commonly called “mosquito” noise was originally designed by the Swedish government to keep people like teenagers away from public venues like supermarkets and other stores.

Mosquito Bite Causes Itching, Swelling Red Skin Bumps

Standing water and warm weather creates an ideal environment for mosquitoes. This pest’s bite causes itching, swelling red skin bumps that can drive you crazy.

Mosquitoes And Bite Prevention

Travelers need to use all of their savvy to prevent bites and stay healthy on their trip. The first line in mosquito bite prevention is clothing. Lighter colors are advised and long sleeves and pants act as a barrier to the attacking .

Cheap Off Mosquito Lantern PowerPad Kit Just A Simple Solution

The off hanging mosquito lantern also provides mosquito protection for an area up to 15 ft. x 15 ft. Each candle and pad lasts up to four hours. Refills are also available for both the off Mosquito lamp and hanging mosquito lantern. 

Technorati Tags: bite, bites, control, diseases, equipment, facts, female, infected, larvae, malaria virus, mosquito, mosquitoes, pests, products, sprayers, treatment

Aside from being pesky creatures ..  I just got bit on the forehead .. mosquitoes tend to carry various diseases that are unwelcome at best. Most of use are familiar with West Nile virus, the most recently reported mosquito carrying disease.

There are numerous other diseases that mosquitoes carry however, which we’ll cover in greater detail below.

Dengue Fever

Dengue fever actually comes from four different viruses. Typically Aedes mosquitos carry this form of infection. With Dengue fever, a vicious cycle occurs whenever a mosquito bites an infected person, then becomes infected, and bites more people. Dengue fever is typically characterized by symptoms like severe headaches, fever, nausea and vomiting and pains in the joints or bones. Some may mistake Dengue fever for a bad case of the flu. The treatment similarly is lots of rest and fluids. In some cases your doctor may prescribe drugs to bring your fever down. Usually patients recover within two weeks.

Malaria

Malaria is a well known mosquito born illness. Symptoms include fever, chills, muscle aches, fatigue, nausea and vomiting. Patients with malaria may also mistake their symptoms for flu symptoms. Unfortunately if not treated, malaria can lead to other illnesses including anemia and jaundice. Once bitten it may take several weeks before a patient begins exhibiting symptoms, thus this is one mosquito born illness that is difficult to diagnose.

Malaria is most often associated with traveling to foreign countries with large populations of Aedes mosquitoes. Fortunately there are many treatment choices for patients with malaria. There are also preventive treatments a patient can take. These include:

Chloroquine – Travelers should consider taking this pill starting two weeks prior to travel and for four weeks after travel if going to malaria infested areas.

Doxycycline – This treatment starts two days before departure and may be continued for up to 4 weeks upon return home.

Unfortunately malaria is a very severe and insidious disease. Even after recovering some patients may find their symptoms return several months or years after treatment.

Viral Encephalitis

Viral encephalitis is a serious disease that results in brain inflammation. There are multiple causes, though many people with this disease get it from an insect bite (usually a mosquito bite). Fortunately most patients that contract viral encephalitis recover fine, but recovery often takes an extended period of time. There is some risk of permanent injury from the disease as well. In rare circumstances viral encephalitis can cause death.

West Nile encephalitis is just one form of viral encephalitis. It is more common in areas like the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

West Nile Virus

West Nile Virus has recently invaded the shores of the United States. The symptoms are also flu-like and may include muscle and joint aches and pains, headaches, rashes and fevers. At this time there is no cure for West Nile disease, though patients usually recover in one to several weeks. Some people are not affected as badly as others. West Nile is particularly risky for those with compromised immune symptoms. Severe reactions to the disease may include paralysis and encephalitis.

Protecting Yourself From Mosquito Born Diseases

While most of this information sounds pretty terrible (that’s because it is) the good news is you can largely protect yourself from mosquito bites. While you may not be able to prevent every bite, you can reduce the risk for contracting a mosquito born illness.

Common preventive measures include:

Using chemical repellants or insecticides to keep mosquitoes in your yard at bay.

Use of a mosquito repellant containing DEET. There are family formulas that contain less DEET that are safe to use on young children.

Wearing long pants and sleeves when out in mosquito infested areas. Mosquitoes are also more common at dusk, thus it is a good idea to wear long sleeved items and spray your clothes when out in this environment.

Use of citronella candles and other natural insect repellants.

Keep grass trimmed short to deter mosquitoes.

Avoid allowing any water to stand for more than a day in your yard or around your house, as mosquitoes tend to breed in standing water.

You’ll probably find a combination of these strategies works best to keep mosquitoes from harming you and your family.

Mosquitoes: Their Habitat And Diseases

Interesting facts on mosquitoes, the west nile mosquito, dengue fever and malaria and how to prevent mosquito bites. 

Malaria Patterns May Be Altered By Climate Change

Temperature is an important factor in the spread of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases, but researchers who look at average monthly or annual temperatures are not seeing the whole picture. Global climate change will affect daily … In the developed world, the key to eradicating malaria, which once existed in parts of the U.S. and Europe, was an infrastructure that included good healthcare, mosquito control and habitat management. 

Predicting the future spread

As global warming raises concerns about potential spread of infectious diseases, a team of researchers has demonstrated a way to predict the expanding range of human disease vectors in a changing world. … Porter and his colleagues, led by Michael Kearney at the University of Melbourne, used software models to predict future mosquito habitat. Called Niche Mapper, the models use basic characteristics of an animal’s body, metabolic needs and behaviours to determine

Predicting the future spread of infectious disease

Porter and his colleagues, led by Michael Kearney at the University of Melbourne, used software models to predict future mosquito habitat.

Climate change may alter malaria patterns

Temperature is an important factor in the spread of malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases, but researchers who look at average monthly or annual temperatures are not seeing the whole picture. … In the developed world, the key to eradicating malaria, which once existed in parts of the U.S. and Europe, was an infrastructure that included good healthcare, mosquito control and habitat management.

Article By: elbert  Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

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